Bihar gets a dose of Sidhuisms

Using cricketing parlance, Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday described National Democratic Alliance chief ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar as 'Mr Dependable', likening him to Team India captain Rahul Dravid and Lok Janshakti Party president Ramvilas Paswan to controversial former Pakistani umpire Shakoor Rana.

Contending that the assembly election is a match between 'Team Bihar' (NDA) vs 'Bitter halves' (Lalu-Rabri), the former cricketer said on Wednesday night that there was no doubt Team Bihar would win.

Sidhu, who is campaigning for the NDA, said seeing the record of Kumar as minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, he could be described as 'Mr Dependable' who would never fail in the hour of crisis.

In his flurry of 'strokes', Sidhu likened Paswan to former umpire Shakoor Rana, who gave controversial decisions in favour of Pakistani players and earned the sobriquet of the 13th player of the team.

"By not speaking against Congress, he is in a way part of the Congress-led team, not playing but as a reserve," Sidhu said.

The Congress, he said 'is the reserve bench of the RJD. Whether they come with their bats or not, they always score zero'.

On Lalu, Sidhu said he is the leader of the team that fails to set or even chase a target. Taking potshots at RJD, he said Lalu's developmental mantra is 'Kumbhakaran', his law and order chief is 'Ravana' and his head is in the air like 'Meghnad', that will come down after the polls because the roots are not termite-proof.